Why have academic discussions?

There are many reasons why academic discussions at university are useful. Some of the main ones are:

to help you understand a subject more deeply

to enable you to share ideas and insights with other students

to hear the thoughts and ideas of other students

to challenge and perhaps change your ideas

to increase and clarify your knowledge

to improve your ability to think critically

to increase your confidence in speaking

to improve your English speaking skills

What makes an effective discussion?

Discussions happen when many people get together and talk. However, not every discussion is effective, and there are many reasons for this.
Perhaps there are too many people talking at the same time. Perhaps the participants fail to listen to what others are saying, or listen
but refuse to change their own opinions. Perhaps there is a question which needs answering, but the discussion does not lead to any
agreement. In order to ensure that academic discussions are effective, there are several things which the
individuals and the
group need to do.

Individual actions

It is important for you, the individual participant, to do the following:

We'll spend the first fifteen minutes discussing, and the last five coming to a decision.

Summing up

So, to sum up...

We're running out of time, so...

So, it seems that, as a group, we've decided...

All things considered, we feel that...

We couldn't reach an agreement on this issue...

Although we agree that..., we still stress that...

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Improving your discussion skills

It can be difficult, at first, to take part in academic discussions. Perhaps you lack confidence in your spoken English, or perhaps
you do not think your ideas are strong enough. If you find it difficult to speak or ask questions in tutorials,
the following ideas may help you.

Prepare

This is perhaps the most important thing you can do. You will not be able to contribute to a discussion unless you are well-prepared
and already understand the topic fairly well. At a minimum this means attending lectures and completing any assigned readings.
You can also do further reading on your own to deepen your understanding. Talk to other students on the same course as you about
the topic area, and speak to your lecturer outside class if you need further assistance.

Observe

When you are taking part in tutorial discussions, try to observe how other students participate. Think about how they
give opinions, how they
agree or
politely disagree, how they
ask for clarification or
ask questions. Also observe how long each speaker speaks for, whether anyone dominates the discussion,
and what strategies speakers use to ensure everyone contributes.

Listen

A good speaker needs to be a good listener. Although this can be difficult if your
English isn't at a high level, the more you practise listening, the more you will find yourself understanding.
Focus on what the other speakers are saying during a discussion, and try to identify the main ideas. Try to relate what is being
discussed to what you have already learnt in your lectures and readings. Most importantly, keep an open mind: you may have your own opinion, but the
opinions of others should be respected and listened to.

Participate

Although you may lack confidence, it is important to participate each time you take part in a discussion.
You can start in a small way, for example by simply
agreeing with someone else's opinion, or
asking someone for clarification. Learn some useful phrases for these and other skills to help you.
You could also prepare a question beforehand and try to ask it during the discussion. If you begin with these small
steps, your confidence will grow and you will find yourself participating more as time goes on.

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Checklist

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